Reassurance
by WriterOfNeverKnown
Summary: Lia rides hard for Siena when Gabi sends her away and is captured. When Lia comes to Gabi's rescue with Marcello and Luca, she seems to be much closer to the green-eyed knight, even letting him hold her. What transpired in Gabi's absence?


It was a miracle that I found them.

I knew I had passed back into Sienese territory when I saw four scouts with Forelli gold under their saddles. They immediately zeroed in on me, which I had expected. After all, I was dressed like a man, my hair loose and matted, and I sat atop a horse with the Fiorentini crimson across its back. But once they realized who I was, they gave me water and I hurriedly told them all that had transpired. I explained, in a great rush, that Gabi had been captured by Lord Greco, that he was taking her to Firenze, that thousands of Fiorentini soldiers were prepared to attack Castello Forelli and Castello Paratore that very day, and move on to Siena and the Nine on the morrow.

They tried to convince me to ride with them back to Castello Forelli, but I knew I couldn't do that. As much as I wanted to run to my mother, throw myself into her arms, and weep like a child, I wouldn't. I couldn't do anything for Gabi, but no one had seen Luca or Marcello either. I had to find them, tell them what had happened.

Ignoring the protests of the scouts, I turned my horse about and headed back the way I had come. It didn't take as long as I had expected to locate them. Actually, they found me.

I was riding hard, following the river again, trying to retrace my journey and make it close to Villa Orci, when I heard it.

"Evangelia!"

Luca's voice.

I whirled and yanked my horse to a stop, searching the woods around me for them. Luca stepped out from the cover of the trees and boulders first, his face set in that crazy grin, and Marcello was close behind him, replacing his sword in its sheath.

"Luca," I murmured to myself. He was alive! Feeling faint with relief and stress, I slumped over the neck of my horse, as exhausted as it was from our multiple hard rides.

Luca and Marcello rushed forward, concern on both of their faces. Marcello took the reins from my limp hands and tried to steady the horse, but it trembled beneath me.

"Dov'e' Gabriella?" _Where is Gabriella? _he asked, looking around as if expecting Gabi to be behind me, which she should have been.

I was trying to catch my breath, speak, explain, but the air just didn't seem to be coming. I thought I was going to black out.

Marcello reached up and grabbed my arm, hard, drawing a strangled cry from me. "Dov'e' lei?" he shouted. _Where is she?_

"M'lord," Luca cautioned, knocking Marcello's hand away from me.

"Where is your sister?" Marcello continued.

"Captured..." I wheezed. "We hid... in the caves... Lord Greco... he chased us... Gabriella injured... Greco took her... to Firenze..." I wanted to explain more, but I could barely breathe.

Marcello's face went slack and I thought for a moment that he would collapse before I did. "A Firenze?" he asked numbly. _To Firenze?_

"Si," I gasped, sorely wishing I could change the news. "M'lord, we must... go after her..."

He shook his head. "Nay," he replied, thinking hard, beginning to pace. "Luca will accompany you back to the castello. I will retrieve Gabriella."

Luca and I both objected at once.

"Nay, m'lord! I will not let you go alone!" Luca protested.

"I am coming too! Gabriella is my sister, Marcello! I _must_ go!" I tried to straighten up, look more regal and commanding, but I started to fall off the horse.

"M'lady!" Luca's hands were suddenly at my waist, holding me tightly, lifting me down carefully.

I couldn't believe I was worried about it with Gabi in so much danger, but I swear I blushed. He was really starting to grow on me... Then Luca tried to set me on my feet. My sliced-up, mangled, bloody, bare feet. I cried out in pain and crumpled, but Luca's hands never left me. He steadied me.

"What pains you, m'lady?" he asked worriedly.

Why did my name sound so much more wonderful when it came from his lips? I shook my head. "'Tis my feet," I said. "They recieved quite a beating whilst I was escaping."

"Where are your slippers?"

"Gone. I had to abandon them when Gabriella and I were dressed as men and drafted into the line of Fiorentini soldiers headed to the battle."

His brow furrowed over his green eyes.

"I shall explain fully later." I turned back to Marcello, but the movement only caused more agony to my feet and I winced.

Luca saw it. Without asking permission, perhaps without even thinking about it, he lifted me into his arms.

"Nay, Luca," I said quickly. "Put me down. I am all right."

"Do not be so stubborn, m'lady," he returned, not allowing me to argue. He wasn't going to let me down, even if I struggled.

"Marcello," I said, looking to him from Luca's arms. "You will take Luca and I with you, or we shall be forced to follow you."

"Is not creeping about as a spy beneath a She-Wolf of Siena?" he asked, trying to weasle me out of my determination.

"Nay. It is sitting at home like a proper woman that is beneath me," I retorted. "Luca and I will accompany you, whether it be by your allowance or not."

He must have realized that I wasn't going to back down. Or perhaps he was too worried about Gabi to really care. I know I was. He threw up his hands in finality and sighed loudly.

"Very well," he said. "We will rest in the cave over the rise until dark falls, then we will be off."

"Insieme?" I prompted, wanting to hear him say it. _Together?_

"Si," he said after a pause. "Insieme."

A small stream trickled past the entrance to the shallow cave. Marcello crept in and lay down with his back to us, probably cursing himself for not being able to do something for Gabi now, or constructing plans for her rescue. Instead of putting me down inside the cave, Luca deposited me on a boulder beside the water and knelt in front of me.

"Uh, Luca, what are you doing?" I asked, worried he was going to do something stupid. Like propose.

But he merely dipped my bloodied feet into the stream, his large hands gentle on my ankles. I sucked in a pained breath, but then the cool water began to soothe my wounds. In minutes, they almost felt normal. Luca drew a knife from his waist and cut chunks of fabric from the bottom of his tunic; he then bent over, wet the cloths, and tenderly rubbed the blood, dirt, and other woodland junk from my feet.

He was about to rip more from his already much-shorter tunic, but I stayed his hand and took the knife. My tunic was far too long anyway, so I sliced strips from the bottom. I leaned over, meaning to wrap my own feet, but Luca touched my arm.

"Nay, m'lady," he said, smiling slightly. "May I?"

Nodding, I handed the strips to him and sat back on the rock. Luca sat in the dirt, my feet in his lap. He dried them with what was left of his tunic hem and wrapped them with the strips of cloth until I looked like I had rag-doll feet.

"You are well again?" I asked him, stunned and delighted to see the light back in his eyes. He had been so sick, I had feared that I - _we_ - would lose him. I could still hear his groans of pain, his delirious rambling. I could feel the boiling heat of his skin under my hand. I could see the burst blood vessels under his arms and at his neck. I shivered at the memories, thanking God he was all right.

"Si. I am as well as can be expected."

I frowned, wondering if he meant he was still in pain.

"Fret not, m'lady," he assured me, seeing my expression. "I am fine. Merely worried for your sister's well-being. Whatever came over me has passed."

"Buono," I said. _Good._ Even though I didn't know exactly _what _I felt for him yet, I knew that his death would have destroyed me.

"Ecco," he said, pushing my feet off his legs and standing up. _There._ "Now your pretty feet can heal properly. I am sorry we do not have spare slippers for you, m'lady."

"Evangelia," I said quietly.

"Che cosa, m'lady?" _What?_

I looked up and met his eyes. "Evangelia," I repeated. "I wish you to call me Evangelia. It sounds nice... when you say it..." _Where on earth had _that _come from?_

But I didn't have time to be embarrassed. Luca knelt before me again and took both of my hands, his bright green eyes searching mine. A smile grew on his face, one of those radiant, perfectly-happy smiles. My heart fluttered.

"As you wish... Evangelia." He said my name reverently, tenderly, as if it was the most precious word he could ever utter.

I smiled as well. He helped me to my feet and led me into the cave, where Marcello was turning over agitatedly, half-asleep, half-alive with worry over Gabi. I felt guilty for forgetting her, if only for a moment. All my thoughts and emotions should be geared specifically towards her. Not the handsome young man behind me.

"Lie down," Luca instructed. "You are surely tired. I will keep the watch."

I did as he bade me, lying on my side against the wall of the shallow cave, with Marcello across from me. Luca sat with his back to the wall, near my head, watching the outside world with a wide, sweeping gaze. However, even though I knew I was safe, I couldn't sleep. I was completely exhausted, and I did nod off, but I always awoke moments later with a quiet gasp when the images of Gabi being taken, my flight, and Lord Greco's sneering face danced behind my eyelids. Suddenly, I didn't feel safe at all.

Hearing Luca shift at my head reminded me that he was right there, so close, watching over me. I glanced up and saw his right on the hilt of his sword, his left lying near to my face, empty. After a second's hesitation, I reached out with my right hand and curled my fingers through his.

His muscles twitched and his hand closed around my smaller one, all warmth and callouses and gentle reassurance. He looked down and met my eyes, silently questioning.

I simply gave him a tiny smile. Then I lay my head back down and closed my eyes, hoping the comfort of his hand in mine would keep away the fear.

Before I finally drifted off, I felt the fingertips of Luca's other hand brush my dirty hair from my face.

"Sleep well... Evangelia," he whispered.


End file.
